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Thursday, December 22, 2016

So, I finally did it. I got a picture of my beef stew so that I could get the recipe recorded on my blog. Then when I went to edit it. . . wow! when you enlarge the image of your crock pot on your monitor, it doesn't look quite as great as you thought it did when you snapped the picture! Alas, I am not a photographer. In truth, a hurried snap on my phone is as good as you're going to get on this blog! Please go ahead and try this recipe, though. It really is delicious!

Please note: this makes a large amount. Be prepared to freeze some or halve the recipe if you don't have a large crew to feed like I do! Also, I do not cook with onion as my husband cannot tolerate it. By all means, add some onion if you like!

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Last week I needed a quick meal to get on the table for lunch. I found a recipe that I had pinned for Cashew Beef Stir Fry, and it fit the bill nicely. I made enough modifications to the recipe that I decided to post it. I will definitely be making this one again. If you have your beef pre-cooked, it comes together in a jiffy. Here's the recipe.

In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the peppers, asparagus pieces, and garlic and cook until they begin to soften. Next, add the beef, ginger, and coconut aminos and heat through. Meanwhile, toast the cashews in a small skillet over medium heat for about five minutes or until browned and fragrant. Mix the arrowroot powder with 1/4 cup water until smooth. Pour into the beef mixture and heat until sauce begins to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cashews. Serve over rice if desired, and shake on some red pepper flakes if you like a little heat.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

I have made a lot of different chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years, but these are by far my family's favorite! I have made them so many times that I have the recipe memorized. Recently, we were in Colorado at my husband's parents' vacation home, and of course we had the need for some homemade cookies. They looked so pretty on the counter that I thought I'd better get a picture so that I could share the recipe here.

Cream butter, sugars, and pudding mix for 2-3 minutes in electric mixer. Meanwhile, mix flour, baking soda, and salt if using. Crack eggs into a separate container and add vanilla. Add to butter mixture and mix until well incorporated. Gradually add flour mixture--I add about 1/3 at a time. Finally, mix in the chocolate chips.

Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the cookies onto parchment-lined (or slightly greased) baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 11 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Leave cookies on cookie sheet for five minutes or so before removing to rack or parchment paper to cool completely.

Note: If your butter is very soft, you may need to chill the dough for a while before baking. For high altitudes, add 1/4 cup flour. Also, if the cookies spread more than you would like, increase the flour a bit the next time or chill dough a couple of hours before baking. I like to scoop the dough into balls first and store in a container in the fridge. When I'm ready for cookies, I simply place the dough on the cookie sheet and bake away!

Hope you enjoy this family favorite!

There are many different flavor variations for this recipe. Please see this recipe for details!

Place all ingredients in mason jar with a lid and shake well. I use a heaping tablespoon per pound of meat and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water; adjust to your preference!

To make chicken for tacos, I place frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot, add seasoning and some coconut oil (about 2 Tablespoons for 3 pounds meat), and cook on high for 3 - 3 1/2 hours. Then Ishred the chicken in my Kitchenaid mixer and put it back in the crockpot on "warm" until we are ready to eat. I like to make extra and freeze it for a later time!

This is also delicious with pork. Simply place pork roast in crock pot and rub seasoning (heaping tablespoon per pound) on the roast. Then cook on high for four hours. Reduce heat to low and cook for three to four hours longer. Remove bones and shred in the mixer!

For a paleo meal, enjoy some taco meat on top of spinach or other greens and toppings of choice for a yummy salad.

My kids love to have breakfast for supper. I usually make breakfast for supper on a Thursday or Friday, and I make a big bunch of pancakes or waffles and some scrambled eggs. Then I save the leftovers for Sunday breakfast. This really cuts down on my crazy as we are trying to get ready for church and out the door! The picture above is a double batch of pancakes. These freeze great in a ziploc bag. To serve, thaw overnight in the fridge and then toast.

My kids have not loved pancakes until I got this recipe from my good friend Amber. She brought some over for me when we welcomed little Jack into our family. Of course, I requested the recipe straightaway! My kids enjoy these with either peanut butter or chocolate spread in between two pancakes--then they eat them like a sandwich with no syrup. It's a lot less messy for my three year old!

If you like gadgets, you might want to check out this batter dispenser from Amazon. We love ours! My kids are pretty eager to help out with it!

Preheat griddle. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs until bubbly. Add oil or melted butter and milk and mix well. Then add dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Using a stick of butter, grease the griddle. With a ladle (or batter dispenser if you are a gadget guru!) place small circles of batter onto the griddle. These will spread a bit, so start smaller than you think you need to. Cook until bubbles form on the top of the pancakes, then flip and cook about two more minutes or until done. Enjoy with syrup or as pancake sandwiches!

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These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

About Me

Thanks for stopping by! I am a stay at home wife and mother. We have seven children--six ages 12 and under and one precious child who met Jesus at 15 weeks into the pregnancy in August of 2011. My husband and I felt led to homeschool our children. I love having them around. I desire to instill a legacy of loving God, following Him, and doing your best in my children. In my spare time (when I have it) I like to sew and bake.